GEAR UP North Carolina

The high school dropout rate in the United States is simply abysmal. Dr. Jim Goodnight, the CEO of SAS, has cited this problem as a core reason for developing SAS Curriculum Pathways and for providing it at no cost. Many outstanding organizations are working to increase graduation rates, and we are especially proud to work closely with one of them: GEAR UP North Carolina.

GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a national college access initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Education. GEAR UP’s goal is to “significantly increase the number of students who are prepared to pursue post secondary education.” The North Carolina team serves students, families, and educators in 11 target counties.

SAS Curriculum Pathways works with GEAR Up to support educators. Begun in 2011, our partnership provides technology integration training for middle and high school teachers. We have jointly conducted professional development sessions around the state for hundreds of teachers. We have even collaborated on a tool-based lesson using Writing Reviser to help students develop their college essay skills.

The response has been encouraging. GEAR UP North Carolina schools have significantly increased SAS Curriculum Pathways usage as teachers have implemented our interactive resources in their classrooms.

GEAR UP NC professional development participants presenting their school integration plans

We're proud to work with an organization that shares our commitment to education and our hopes for the future. GEAR UP's support for the training sessions has been crucial to their success. These professional development events are first-rate, providing travel stipends, meals, and substitute pay for participants. The GEAR UP team knows, as we know, that when you treat teachers like the professionals they are, great things happen.

About this blog

Pathfinders will explore all the avenues and byways related to educational technology and to the development, use, and evaluation of SAS Curriculum Pathways. We'll look at everything from new resources and mobile technologies to flipped classrooms and professional development, with occasional detours that offer a behind-the-scenes look at our production processes. Your lively responses will help keep the journey interesting.